Day #72

I have posted some new pictures of my precious little nephews. As you can see by Kacyn's picture, he is no longer having any problems whatsoever taking his bottles! I can't wait to kiss those chubby little cheeks! Thank you, Grammy, for sharing the pics!

Jennifer is doing well in rehab. The therapists are impressed with how well she's progressing. She's still unable to really talk & is still being fed through a feeding tube, but is improving in other areas.

She smiles, laughs, giggles, & cries.

She comprehends everything that's said to her.

She can shake her head "no", but has difficulty with nodding "yes".

She can follow things with her eyes from side to side, but has difficulty following things moving up & down.

She has said the words "hi", "bye", & "hey" when prompted by the speech therapist, but cannot do so every time.

The speech therapist worked with her this morning. She told Jennifer she was going to ask her some questions & told Jennifer to squeeze her hand if the answer to the question was "yes". She asked her questions such as "Are you wearing red pajamas?" Jennifer was wearing red pajamas so she squeezed the therapist's hand. She asked Jennifer many questions. Jennifer got the answers right except when it came to the question of what month it is. Jennifer thought it was January 2009. She knows Christmas just passed so I guess that's why she was confused, but who wouldn't be confused after being in the hospital as long as she has!! The dr then asked Jennifer if her birthday was May 28. She got no response from Jennifer. She asked the same question several times, wording it a little differently each time, but always with the same date, May 28. Jennifer never responded. Finally mom told the therapist "Jennifer's birthday is May 29". The therapist then asked Jennifer if her birthday was May 29 & Jennifer squeezed her hand!

They've begun giving her a little food by mouth. She had some chocolate pudding yesterday & some applesauce today. After she ate her applesauce, the therapist asked her if she wanted more & said if she did to raise her hand. Jennifer raised her hand so she got more applesauce. The therapist also told Jennifer to chew the applesauce even though she didn't need to. I guess this is to help teach her to chew again. She did well with this task also. They also gave her a popsicle today.

Jennifer is being healed & things are looking up, but she still has a ways to go. Mom is concerned about one of Jennifer's hands. It's curled up & Jennifer can't use it. Please pray for this hand to begin working as well as the continued healing of her brain, broken bones, & the return of all her motor skills. And don't forget about little Kacyn! He still needs prayers for his head & brain.

Jennifer's miracle continues!! What a story she will have to tell!

Love,
Lynn

Day #71

The kids & I didn't make it to St. Louis this weekend as originally planned. My niece who stayed the night at our house Thu night & my daughter spent several days in a row with came down with strep throat on Sat. Because of our long term exposure to her, I was worried about carrying the germ to St. Louis & making them sick. Kacyn & Jennifer definitely don't need strep nor does anyone else! So far none of us have it, but I decided it was better to be safe than sorry. Our plan now is go up this next weekend.

Jennifer had her first real bath on Sat! For the last 10 weeks, it's been nothing but sponge baths for her! Sat morning, they put her in a big jacuzzi tub & gave her a real bath! I know that had to feel good to her!

There's not really a lot to report on. Things are still going well with the rehab hospital. Jennifer seems to be doing ok there.

Please don't forget Jennifer & Kacyn in your prayers! They are getting better, but are still a long ways from being completely healed! Please pray for strength & comfort for David as well as the rest of the family.

Love,
Lynn

Day #69

Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas! Ours was good, but also difficult at the same time without Jennifer & her family here to celebrate Christmas with us. It broke my heart to think about her missing out on Kacyn's first Christmas & the first Christmas Josiah would really enjoy opening the presents. He's got opening presents all figured out now! He doesn't need any help!

Even though it was a difficult Christmas for us, I think we did ok overall. Mom only broke down once. My sister-in-law made a collage picture frame with pictures of mom & dad, her & my brother, me & my husband, the grandkids, & one of Jennifer & David. When mom saw the picture of Jennifer & David, she said "There's my baby" & started crying. What helped get me through was thinking about how Jennifer is getting better & this is only one of many, many more Christmas's to come. There will be lots more Christmas's for us to celebrate with Jennifer & many more for her to enjoy with her kids.

Thank you to everyone who helped David this Christmas. Lots of gifts were given to Kacyn & Josiah. David said people kept bringing gifts by & it took almost 3 hours to open all of them! He's gathering old toys to donate to the Salvation Army so there'll be room for the new toys!

I'm taking the kids to St Louis tomorrow to see their Aunt Fer. We have more gifts for Kacyn & Josiah!

Jennifer is doing well in rehab. My daughter, Kennedy, was a little confused about why Aunt Fer was going to rehab. She thought rehab was only for people with drug problems. We had to explain to her there are different kinds of rehab. David's sister, Chrissie, told Jennifer about Kennedy's confusion & she said it got a big smile out of Jennifer!

Well, I don't have a lot to report on. I mainly wanted to say thank you to everyone for helping us all get through this difficult time. Your prayers, support, & love have helped us more than you will ever know. Thank you!

Love,
Lynn

Day #65

Jennifer was moved back to the rehab hospital this evening. David said her blood pressure, heart rate, & breathing all seemed to be doing well.

They took Josiah & Kacyn to see Jennifer today. Josiah had some cars & a truck with him. He was showing them to his mommy. She just watched him. They laid Kacyn on her chest & she started crying. It was heartbreaking, but she knows what's going on & is showing the appropriate emotions.

Yesterday David's sister, Chrissie, got a big belly laugh from Jennifer. She's given several little giggles, but this is the first real laugh.

I'm not quite sure how to explain what's going on with Kacyn's head. It's growing, but he doesn't have a soft spot so it's growing upward instead of out. They are trying to make an appointment for him with a neurologist at the Children's Hospital who is supposed to be the best.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. There will definitely be a void this Christmas because Jennifer should be with us, but we are thankful that she will no longer be in the hospital.

I'm going to take a break from posting over the holiday unless there is something that needs to be posted.

I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas! Please remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.

Love,
Lynn

Day #64

My brother, his wife, & their 3 children went to St. Louis to see Jennifer. Jennifer loves her nieces & nephews dearly. They said her eyes lit up when she saw her niece & 2 nephews. Her eyes lit up like they do when she sees David. My brother & his family got to witness several big smiles & even a few giggles. They also saw her cry when my brother told her his 9 year old son had written on his Christmas list that he wanted to have Aunt Jennifer well for Christmas. This is on the wish list of all of us this Christmas.

They are still trying to get Jennifer into a step down room. And we are still hoping to get her in rehab soon.

Mom is coming home tonight & will be here until after Christmas. David is staying with Jennifer at the hospital until she's moved to rehab again.

Things are looking up! Please keep praying!

Love,
Lynn

David's Second Comment

Do you ever get to that point in your life where you cant go on any longer with the way things are in your life. Where everything seems to weight on you, the simplest things make you upset. You feel like Satan is attacking your every move. It seems like you cant go one more step with out Gods help! That's where I am. As crazy as this may sound, that is the best point to be in your life. When you finally reach that place, that is when God can finally step in and do his work. I have always thought I had a real relationship with God but sometimes to get to the place where totally rely on God you have to be put in a place where he is the only one to fall back on. I have been ask for God to give me a desire to serve him the way he would want me to serve him. I never prayed not to have to go through a trial to get to that point. I'm not blaming God for all of this but he does allow us to go through trials in our lives so we will grow and learn how to totally rely on him. I have never in my life been as close to God as I am now. That's the way it is supposed to work, grow closer everyday. To grow closer to him everyday you have to have a relationship with him and talk to him everyday. God has shown me today that this is what it would be like with out him in my life. As close as i am to Jennifer and as much as I miss her I need to have even more of those type feelings toward God. He is the true bridegroom, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't even be married to her. Some of you may not understand this but we have love God even more than our spouses. He is the ultimate reason we are on this earth, not for our spouses or even to be with our spouses. Some may say that i dont have any place to talk about a marrage because we have only been married for 3 1/2 years but I promise you marrages like ours are in the minority. We have such a wonderful marage because we have put God first and we also know what happens when you dont put God before your spouses. Maybe we are going through all of this for me to learn all of what I'm learning or maybe so I would type this for other people to read and be ministered to I dont know. What I do know is that I pray everyday that we are learning every thing we are supposed to learn in all of this because if not, what is the point in us going through trials? I love Jennifer more that anyone or thing on the face of this planet but I love God more. She has always told me from the very beggining that she loved God more than me and that I would have to get to that point if I were to be with her. I have always thought I did love God more than her but it wasnt till this accident when I saw what it was like for her not to be here with me. It has taken me 64 days to relize what it would be like with out God. I know he never leaves or forsakes us but i think at times we take him for granted because he is always there for us and sometimes you have to go through something to see how great he really is and to know how something would have turned out if he wasnt there taking care of you. Now I know what it means to love God more than her and Now i truly do love God more than Jennifer. Im sorry if this seems as if I am jumping around for those of you that know me I am new to stating somthing wise and profound. I am also just typing everthing as God brings it to my attention.

I was at church this morning and while I was watching the Christmas cantata I started crying because Jennifer should be experiencing all of the christmas stuff with her family. Not laying in a hospital. I though now who do I have to blame...... Immediatly satan came to mind. Every bit of this is satan attacking my family, from the brain damage to the breathing problems all the way to Josiah dumping bucketfuls of water on the floor out of the bath tub. Its all satan attacking us trying to see how far he can push us to see if we are going to crack. I have to say he had me pretty close tonight. This is my way of getting back at satan. IM ANGRY ITS TIME HE TAKES HIS HANDS OFF OF MY FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!! I go to that hospital everyday expecting to see Jennifer sitting up in bed and have the biggest smile on her face as soon as I walk through that door and every day I go in and see her kind of starring off into the corner and i say praise God we have made it another day! Its time NOW and tonight that he let go and let God do his work and we have her home by christmas. I dont just mean home I mean Healthy, Whole, Well and Home we arent going to accept a partial healing, satan came to steal my families lives and he has lost and the word says God will restore what satan has tryed to steal 30 60 and 100 fold. To me that means we will be stronger physicaly spritualy emotionaly and in every area of our lives. And I claim that tonight I am using evryone that reads this to be my wittness and to hold me accountable for everything I say and that we will stand up as family against satan and his kingdom and knock it down as much as we can before we die or the Lord returns.

Well this is what God has layed on my heart. I feel much better, somtimes when you get angry you have to yell to feel better and I feel like telling everyone all of this is God's way of using me to start tearing down Satan's kingdom. To Lynn I'm sorry I didnt tell you I was posting this and that I used your password but it was to late to call you and if I didnt do it right then satan would find a way to distract me and it wouldnt get done. Thank you to every one who reads this blog. We wouldnt be able to get through this with out your prayers and support.

There isnt enough words to say other than THANK YOU to everyone who has helped and prayed and visited and read this blog. We love everyone of you and pray that God blesses you in return for you faithfulness.

There may be someone reading this and might see that they are right where I am at and may wonder how to get to a place to be able to make it through each step. Well first it starts with accepting Christ as your Lord and Saviour and this wouldnt be complete if I didnt give you the opportunity to pray a salvation prayer. So if you belive in your heart that Jesus is lord and pray this prayer and mean it with all your heart you to can be saved and know excatly what i am talking about: Pray This "God, I recognize that I have not lived my life for You up until now. I have been living for myself and that is wrong. I need You in my life; I want You in my life. I acknowledge the completed work of Your Son Jesus Christ in giving His life for me on the cross at Calvary, and I long to receive the forgiveness you have made freely available to me through this sacrifice. Come into my life now, Lord. Take up residence in my heart and be my king, my Lord, and my Savior. From this day forward, I will no longer be controlled by sin, or the desire to please myself, but I will follow You all the days of my life. Those days are in Your hands. I ask this in Jesus' precious and holy name. Amen.

"If you decided to repent of your sins and receive Christ today, welcome to God's family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our commitment.Tell someone about your commitmenat spend time with god every day and get pluged in to a local church.

Well so long for now!
We love all of you!

Love David

Day #63

As I'm sure you could tell from yesterday's post, I was having a "down" day. There have been many of those days in the last 9 weeks. It's the love, prayer, & support of so many people that helps us make it through the bad days. I thank God everyday for all of you! But I know there will be be fewer & fewer of those down days going forward!

Jennifer is doing much better. Her breathing is back to normal as it was before things went awry at rehab. We aren't quite sure what happened exactly, but she seems to be ok.

She is still in ICU, but would have been moved to a step down room today if they'd had an open one. David says she may be going back to rehab on Tuesday.

I asked David how he & the boys are doing. He said everyone's ok. He said he's tired. I wouldn't know why!! He said Jo is wanting his mommy to come home. I know she will be home with them soon! What a wonderful, joyous day that will be!!!!!

Praise the Lord everything is ok and Jennifer will be back in the rehab hospital soon! Jennifer's miracle continues!

Thank you everyone for EVERYTHING!! I can't even put into words what it has meant to us & how it has helped us all get through this very difficult time.

Prayers are still needed so please remember Jennifer and the rest of the family in your prayers.

Love,
Lynn

Day #62

Jennifer started having problems with her breathing last night due to swelling where the trach was. A dr at the rehab hospital tried to put a trach back in, but couldn't get it in because of the swelling. The rehab hospital isn't equipped to handle these situations so they had to call 911. The ambulance took Jennifer back to the hospital. She spent 5+ hours in the emergency room before finally being admitted back into the ICU.

As of this morning, her breathing is better, but she still has swelling.

It's very difficult not to wonder why Jennifer is having to go through this & suffer the way she has. Why does she keep taking steps backwards? I know we can't & shouldn't worry about the "why" but sometimes it's hard not to. She's been through so much. It's so difficult to see her go through this. She deserves to be home, enjoying her beautiful babies. They deserve to have their mommy. I know this will happen one day, but I'm a little impatient. I want her home with her babies today! I know God's timing is different than mine though so I shouldn't be impatient. She's in the same hospital as before, but in a different ICU with different doctors. Maybe the purpose of this is to have different doctors look at her & work with her. Maybe there's something the other doctors didn't find or think of doing & this is God's way of getting them to take another look at everything.

Please pray for Jennifer's breathing to get better & for the drs to find what's causing the problems. Please pray for her broken bones & brain to heal. Pray for the blood clots to clear & for the strength to continue to fight. I know she's a fighter! I grew up with her! Please keep David & the rest of family in your prayers also.

Love,
Lynn

Day #61

Jennifer was moved to the rehab hospital today!

I found out today Jennifer said "hello" to the speech therapist yesterday! Today, she mouthed the word "four" when asked by the speech therapist what 2 + 2 equaled. No sound came out, but the speech therapist said she made the motions with her mouth to say the word. She also stuck out her tongue when asked to. She had not done this when asked to do so previously.

The pastor from Jennifer & David's church in Sullivan & his wife went to see Jennifer today. When they were leaving, the pastor waved & said "bye". Jennifer lifted her arm slightly & said "bye". The pastor & his wife were impressed with Jennifer's progress. It's a slow progress, but she is getting better! The prayers are working! Jennifer will have a great testimony to tell!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Love,
Lynn

2 Month Anniversary

Today is the 2 month anniversary of the accident. It happened on Oct 18. All of the events of the last 2 months still seem so unreal. On Oct 18, we were thankful that Josiah wasn't injured at all & Jennifer & David had only a few broken bones. At that time, Kacyn was the biggest worry. Little did we know how drastically things would change. We went from being thankful that everyone was ok & Kacyn being our only worry to almost losing my beautiful baby sister. But we are getting closer & closer to having her back with each passing day.

They didn't move Jennifer to the rehab hospital today. This could happen tomorrow. They spent today trying to make sure they have all her medications right. She needs blood pressure & heart medication, but the drs think eventually she may not need these. Right now she does. They also found blood clots in her left leg today. They have put her back on blood thinners. Thank God for the ivc filter they put in her previously. This greatly reduces the chance of a blood clot making its way to her heart/lungs. The purpose of an ivc filter is to filter out any blood clots & prevent them from making their way to the heart.

Jennifer smiled several times today. Mom said Bob, David's dad, was talking about Josiah & Jennifer smiled a big smile & even did what mom said sounded like a giggle! Jennifer loves her little "Jo-Jo"! I know if anything can make her smile, it'll be Jo-Jo!

It's been a long 2 months, but I know the most difficult times are almost over. I want to thank everyone for helping us make it through them. Jennifer is getting better each day. I believe once she gets into the rehab hospital & they are working daily with her for hours, we will begin to see great improvements. We'll have her back soon! I miss her! I know I'm not the only one! Please keep praying for her & her little family

Love,
Lynn

Day #60

They removed Jennifer's trach today. She is now completely breathing on her own at all times! But she's still not talking. We were hoping that once this was removed she would begin talking.

Instead of doing her physical therapy bedside today. They took her to the physical therapy gym. David said this went well.

She could possibly be going to a rehab center as early as tomorrow! This is a rehab center that will work on both her mental & physical development. She will be getting specialized treatment daily for much longer periods of time.

Don't forget Jennifer, Kacyn, & David in your prayers! Anything is possible through faith & prayer so I know this little family will be whole again soon!

Love,
Lynn

Day #59

After my posting for yesterday, I got a text message from David. It said the physical therapist & the occupational therapist were both happy with how Jennifer did yesterday when they were working with her. She lifted her arm, turned her head, & helped them sit her up when asked to. These are all good signs!

Day #58

It was 8 weeks ago this past Sat since the accident that turned our world upside down & changed our lives forever. It's difficult to believe it's only been 8 weeks! It seems like it's been so much longer!

I was in St. Louis this weekend. I could see the improvements in Jennifer. It is now obvious when she is looking at you. Before you couldn't really tell if she was looking at you or not. Her eyes were kind of glazed over & it was more like she was staring into space. Now her eyes are more clear & she moves her eyes deliberately. She was looking at me & I was telling her how I love her beautiful brown eyes & hair. I was also talking about how growing up she used to always want blue eyes & blonde hair like me. When I mentioned my blonde hair, her eyes moved from my eyes to my hair & followed the length of my hair & then back to my eyes.

She is doing very well with the capping of her trach. They are increasing each day how long they are leaving it capped because she is doing so well with it. Hopefully they'll be able to remove the trach soon.

She has begun being vocal. She isn't talking. It's more like a yell or a scream. It's good that she's making these sounds because it's her way of showing emotion. Unfortunately, it's a little upsetting to us because we don't know what she wants. We're not sure if she's in pain, frustrated, upset, agitated, or just wants us to leave her alone!

She is feeling pain now. It's difficult to see her in pain, but it's good that she's able to feel it. Up until a few days ago, she wasn't feeling pain. The drs would pinch her fingertips with plier-like things, trying to get a response. They were squeezing her fingers so tight with this that she had bruises under every fingernail. She wouldn't even flinch when they did this. She also wouldn't react at all when they would prick her finger or give her an injection. Friday she began flinching & making a face when her finger is pricked or when getting a shot.

She's showing more emotion all the time which is a good thing, but as I said earlier it's sometimes difficult to see when we know she's not happy. The dr had told mom to try to startle Jennifer occasionally to get a reaction from her. Mom slammed the window shades yesterday really loud. Jennifer was about asleep when mom did this. Jennifer jumped then started crying & making the sound along with it. It made both mom & I sad, but at the same time we were glad to get a reaction. Mom came home with me yesterday. She's staying home for a few days. When mom told her yesterday that we were leaving, Jennifer got upset & started crying out. It broke our hearts. David is staying at the hospital with Jennifer until mom gets back.

They are talking about sending Jennifer to a rehab center, possibly within the next few weeks. This is good because previously they had been talking about sending her to a nursing home because she wasn't mentally or physically ready for a rehab center. It is very encouraging now to hear them talking about rehab instead.

On the way home yesterday, mom & I stopped by Jennifer & David's house to see Josiah & Kacyn. Josiah is cuter than ever! I fed Kacyn his bottle! He did great with it! He drank virtually all of it. He left only enough to cover the bottom of the bottle. He now weighs 8 lbs 11 oz. He's such a precious little baby!

Prayers are needed for Kacyn's head. It's not growing. It measures the same circumference it did when he was born. They are unsure why at this time.

David's mom is staying at Jennifer & David's house, helping taking care of Josiah & Kacyn. Thank you, Grammy, for taking such good care of those precious little boys! David's dad is driving him back & forth to the hospital which is about an hour away from their house.

Please pray for Jennifer's progress to continue. Prayers are needed for her brain, lungs, broken bones, motor skills, entire body as well as strength for her to continue to fight & get through this. Please pray that she'll be able to talk when the trach is taken out. Pray for Kacyn's head/brain. Prayers for strength & comfort for David. Pray that this little family is reunited soon. What a wonderful day that will be!

Thank you for all the prayers & everything else that has been done for our family.

Love,
Lynn

Day #55

I've been asked what it means when I talk about Jennifer's trach being capped off. The way I understand it is the trach is essentially turned off. There is no oxygen or anything going through it. They do this to prevent removing a trach & then having to put it back. Capping the trach is kind of a test. If the patient passes this test, they know they can remove the trach. This may not be exact, but this is my understanding of it.

They had to uncap Jennifer's trach about 9:00 last night. She had continued to panic throughout the day. They decided to uncap it so she could rest better. She had a pretty good night & rested well, mom said.

They capped her trach off again this morning. She panicked at first, but when I talked to mom this morning, she was calm & relaxed. I spoke to mom again about 20 minutes ago. Jennifer's trach was still capped. She's done really well with it today.

The speech therapist worked with Jennifer more today. When she first came into the room, she was able to get Jennifer to shake her hand! She worked with Jennifer today on trying to talk & say certain words. She also worked with Jennifer on swallowing again today & got Jennifer to drink some juice. She told mom that we can give Jennifer up to 4 teaspoons of water a day. Before the therapist left, she worked with Jennifer on saying "bye". Mom said Jennifer made a sound that sounded like she said "bye"!

Jennifer was resting when I last talked to mom. She said Jennifer's had a big day & was tired. She had both the speech therapist & the physical therapist work with her today. Mom said Jennifer gets sad when David has to leave. When he starts talking to her about having to leave, mom said her face wrinkles up, & she gets a really sad look on her face. She doesn't want him to leave. But I know even though she doesn't want him to leave, she understands he needs to go home & take care of their babies.

I'm going back to St. Louis tomorrow. My 9 year old son has his first basketball game of the season tomorrow morning. I can't miss that! So I'm not leaving for St. Louis until after his game.

Please keep the prayers going!

Have a great weekend!
Love,
Lynn

Day #54

They "capped off" Jennifer's trach again about 8:00 this morning. Once again, Jennifer panicked, but when I talked to mom again about 3:00 it was still "capped". Jennifer's been panicking off & on all day with it. At times, she was "screaming" & could be heard outside the room, butwhen I last talked to mom she was calm & resting. Hopefully, she will be able to remain calm once she wakes up. Being able to remove the trach will be a big step for us.

Please pray for Jennifer to remain calm & do well with the trach "capped". Also please pray for head to toe healing...her brain, lungs, infection, broken bones...everything!

Love,
Lynn

Day #53

Yesterday, they "capped" Jennifer's trach. This was a test to see if they can remove it. It didn't work. Jennifer panicked & started to go into distress. They had to uncap it. They will try again later this week. The respiratory therapist told mom it's not unusual to have to try this more than once. The patient feels like they can't breathe because the trach is still in their throat. Hopefully, they will be able to remove the trach soon. Once they do this, Jennifer should be able to talk! I can't wait to hear her voice again!

I really don't have anything else to report on.

Prayers are still desperately needed for Jennifer. Please continue to pray for her.

Love,
Lynn

Day #51

Dad got to see Jennifer's beautiful smile when he was in St. Louis this past weekend! This made him happy!

They put a smaller trach in Jennifer yesterday. Mom asked the dr how long he thought it'd be before they take the trach out completely. The dr told her that normally it's about a week or so after they switch the patient to the smaller trach. So hopefully soon she will no longer need this!

They removed Jennifer's external fixator a few days ago. This should help relieve some of her pain & make her more comfortable. They still aren't planning to do surgery on her hip/pelvic bone at this time. They said it appears to be healing ok on its own.

Mom said Jennifer got mad at her today! Jennifer was resting & mom was rubbing her arm. Jennifer looked at mom & jerked her arm away! I've been waiting for Jennifer to get tired of everyone always touching & rubbing her! I always tell Jennifer I can't wait until she can tell us to leave her alone! I guess this was her way of telling mom that today! She also lifted her arm up for the nurse when she came in to take Jennifer's blood pressure! This was a first also! Normally they have to lift her arm to put the cuff around it.

Mom told me about some visitors Jennifer had this weekend. They are parents of a boy whose life Jennifer impacted. Their son was heading down the wrong road, making bad decisions until he met Jennifer. Jennifer turned his life around. He is a different person now because of Jennifer's influence. Hearing these stories make us more & more proud of Jennifer all the time!

I know I've talked about the outpouring of support, kindness, & generosity we've seen, but I wanted to thank everyone again. There have been monetary contributions to both Jennifer & David & to mom to help with her expenses. There have been gifts for the kids. There have been cards, letters, e-mails. There have been offers to help in any way needed. A lady who has been a friend of my mom's since high school gave her a goody bag that contained books, snacks, personal items such as lotions, & other nice things for mom to use while staying at the hospital with Jennifer. It also contained a Veggie Tales book for Josiah! The wife of a man my dad works with, made 2 beautiful blankets for Kacyn. One of them has his name & birthdate embroidered on it! There have been too many instances of generosity to mention all of them, but I want to say "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" to everyone! We can't thank you enough.

In addition to all the things I mentioned above, there have been thousands (if not, millions) of prayers for Jennifer, Kacyn, David, Josiah & the entire family. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!! Please keep them going! Jennifer's taking baby steps, but we are celebrating & thanking the Lord for each one of them. We see each & every one of them as getting us closer & closer to having our sister, daughter, friend, niece, cousin, wife, mommy back!

Love,
Lynn

Day #48

Kacyn went home today and without a heart monitor! Initially we were told he would need a heart monitor, but he's doing well enough that they decided he didn't need one! He's home now! I only wish his mommy was going home too, but I know she will be home with him, Josiah, & David one day & their beautiful little family will be whole again.

Have a great weekend! Thank you all for being a part of Jennifer's miracle. Please continue to pray for her & her precious little family.

Love,
Lynn

Day #47

Good news today! Jennifer smiled 2 BIG smiles today! David was showing the nurses in Jennifer's room the picture of Josiah in a kilt from a friend's wedding this past summer & telling them the story about his mother making the kilt. The kilt was to be held closed with velcro. When David's mom would try the kilt on Josiah, he'd grab ahold of it, yank it open, & pull the kilt off! They were afraid Josiah might do this in the wedding, so they ended up holding it closed with a safety pin. While David was showing the picture & telling the nurses this story, the nurses started laughing & a big smile came over Jennifer's face! The other smile came when mom was talking about my daughter, Kennedy. Jennifer loves her nieces & nephews dearly. And they love their Aunt Fer - that's what they call her.

Jennifer also cried today. Mom told Jennifer how I said Jennifer has always had a beautiful smile. She said Jennifer starting crying when she told her that. Even though it's heartbreaking to see her cry, I think it has to be a good sign that she is now showing some emotion.

Kacyn is anemic. They are giving him vitamins with iron. David said may get to go home tomorrow depending on his blood test in the morning.

That's really all I have for today. Please keep praying!

Day #46

I haven't talked to either mom or David today so I'm assuming that things are essentially the same as yesterday. Because of this I don't really have anything to post concerning Jennifer's, Kacyn's, or David's condition. So I want to tell a story David told me when I was in St. Louis this past weekend. It may not be exact, but this is how I remember it.

For those who don't know, Jennifer & David had just moved back to Sullivan, MO, from OH 2 weeks before the accident. In OH, Jennifer was the youth minister at a church. Just before Jennifer & David left OH, a teen girl in their youth group at church came to them concerning a friend of hers. Her friend had been in a motorcycle accident & wasn't doing well. Jennifer & David had never met this friend of hers or her family, but they felt a need to reach out to them. They went to the hospital & met this girl's mother & prayed with & for her & her daughter. They also had gathered all their quarters & dollar bills & gave them to her for vending machine money at the hospital. Unfortunately, this lady's daughter passed away. David had no idea how much they had touched this lady's life until last week. David received a very touching card from her, telling them how much she appreciated them being there for her, what a wonderful person Jennifer is, how she's praying for her, etc. She also sent rolls of quarters totally about $21 if I remember correctly for the vending machines. I wanted to share this story as this is just one example of how Jennifer & David live their lives & how they help others. I am very proud of my baby sister. I'm not sure I've ever told her this before, but I told her several times while I was visiting her this past weekend & will continue to tell her so until I know for a fact that she understands what I'm saying.

I thought this past weekend about when Jennifer was a baby. I was so proud of my baby sister, I took her around the neighborhood in her stroller showing her off to all the neighbors! I'm still the proud big sister!

David called while I was typing the last paragraph. He said he got what he considers a half smile from Jennifer today! Jennifer always makes this spiced cider that her nieces & nephews love. David always gives her a hard time about it because it's kind of expensive to make. He was teasing her today, telling her she can make all of it she wants from now on & he won't ever complain again about how much it costs. He said the sides of her mouth turned up slightly at that.

He also told me that they began the medication to help stimulate Jennifer's brain. He couldn't remember the name of it & if he could he doesn't think he could pronounce it. He said the dr's compared it to Ridalin (sp?). When given to someone with an over-active brain, it slows their brain down, but when given to someone with normal brain functions or slower than normal brain function, it stimulates & increases brain function. Hopefully with this, we'll begin to see progress at a faster rate than we have been. We are praying for this.

Thank you for all the prayers! Please keep them going! They are working & Jennifer's miracle continues!

Love,
Lynn

Day #45

Jennifer was pretty tired yesterday after the physical therapist worked with her yesterday. She slept a lot today.

Mom had been praying about finding ways to stimulate Jennifer's brain. A speech therapist came in to see Jennifer today. She gave mom some ideas on what to do to help stimulate Jennifer's brain! She suggested using smells such as the peppermint lotion I used when I gave Jen a pedicure on Sat. She put an alcohol wipe under Jennifer's nose. She didn't get an instant response, but did get one after a few seconds. She then began working on teaching Jennifer to swallow again. She used a small drop of grape juice. They use darker liquids so they can trace where it goes to make sure it's going to the right place instead of to her lungs. David didn't think she'd swallow the grape juice because he said she doesn't like grape juice, but she did! She swallowed it after the therapist worked with her a little, rubbing her throat. While rubbing Jennifer's throat, she felt Jennifer swallow it. The dr told David they could do this using Pepsi since that's what Jennifer likes to drink. David said Jennifer's probably dying for a Pepsi by now! The speech therapist also said to always make sure Jennifer's looking at us when we're talking to her, even it means having to physically turn Jennifer's head for her. She also said to speak loudly when talking to her. She said looking at someone when they're talking is something Jennifer will need to learn again.

After the speech therapist left, another dr came in later. He got a reaction from Jennifer on one of her feet & a reaction when he did something to the inside of her elbow. He then told mom he was going to check into what medications Jennifer was on & would see about prescribing something to help stimulate her brain!

It seems mom's prayers for help in stimulating Jennifer's brain were answered today!

I have posted some new pictures of Kacyn. He's getting so big!

Jennifer is slowly progressing. Please pray for this to continue as well as head to toe healing including the infection. Prayers are still needed for Kacyn's continued improvement. His bottle feeding is getting better & he may be going home later this week! David is physically doing well, please pray for this to continue as well as emotional & spiritual strength for him, my mom, & the rest of the family.

Love,
Lynn

Day #44

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Jennifer continues to progress slowly. She will react on command sometimes, but not always. She has turned her head toward a voice several times now. Mom has been getting her to blink her eyes. She was moved out of ICU into the step down unit today. The exact quote from David on this was "Praise God we are out of the ICU and now in a step down unit. This is more progress. Even small water drops eventually will fll a bucket." I replied "And we will be thankful for each of those little drops!"

Jennifer does have an infection called "VRE infection". I'm not quite sure what it is, but they are treating her for this & all visitors to her room now have to wear a gown & gloves while in her room.

When I was in St. Louis this past weekend, Kacyn weighed 7 lbs 14 oz! He really has chubby cheeks & a double chin now! He has outgrown the preemie clothes that once swallowed him! I took new pictures of him & will post them soon. I asked David if I could keep Kacyn & he said "no". That's the same answer he & Jennifer used to give me when I wanted to steal Josiah too! I knew the answer would be the same, but thought I'd try! Jennifer's always called me a "baby hog" because I love babies & will just sit & hold them for hours, letting no one else hold them!

Even though we had a good Thanksgiving, we felt the emptiness of not having Jennifer there with us. We have a lot to be thankful for and we WILL have her back!

Prayers are needed for the continued healing of Jennifer's brain, broken bones, kidneys (they're close to 100% function, but not quite there), basically head to toe...as well as for the healing of the infection. Please pray for her to show more reaction on command. The dr's are looking for this & she doesn't seem to show any when they are there! Prayers are needed for Kacyn to continue to heal. He needs to show improvement in his bottle feeding still. He can't be released from the hospital until he can take all of his feedings with a bottle. Right now, he takes all but 1-2. He gets too tired on 1-2 & has to finish the feeding through the feeding tube.

Love,
Lynn

Happy Thanksgiving!

They removed the traction off Jennifer's leg today. This will help make her a little more comfortable. For those who don't know what traction is, it's essentially pins put in each side of her leg then lifted to a bar above the bed, keeping the leg elevated & immobile.

Kacyn should be released to go home Monday!

Mom came home yesterday for Thanksgiving. She decided to have Thanksgiving as we normally do because she knows Jennifer would want us to celebrate Thanksgiving. It won't be the same without Jennifer, but we know she'll be there in our hearts. Even though it's been a rough end to 2008, we really have a lot to be thankful for. Mom will be going back to St. Louis on Friday. David is staying with Jennifer at the hospital, spending his Thanksgiving close to his beloved wife. Josiah will be spending Thanksgiving with David's mom & dad at David's aunt's house in Sullivan.

I think I'll take Sherry Palmer's suggestion & take a break from posting to the blog over the Thanksgiving holiday. I won't be posting anything unless something changes drastically. Otherwise, I will just be posting a catch-up message on Monday. I wanted to let everyone know this so no one will get worried if something's not posted for a couple of days.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! I want to thank you again for helping us get through this difficult time & also being a part of Jennifer's miracle. We are thankful for all of you! Please continue to pray for us, especially Jennifer.

Love,
Lynn

Day #38

Yesterday, Jennifer had a friend come visit her. Mom couldn't remember her name - she's not very good with names. This must be hereditary because I'm not either! :) Anyway this friend was just talking away to Jennifer & praying over her. While she was doing this, Jennifer's heart rate went up & she started moving around. This continued & the nurse came in & told mom & Jennifer's friend they needed to leave because they were getting Jennifer too worked up. Jennifer's friend felt bad about this because it wasn't her intention. After Jen's friend left, Mom went back in Jennifer's room & her heart rate was still high & she was still moving around in her bed, but she also had her eyes open & was moving her mouth. Mom was worried & scared so she got the nurse & the nurse gave Jennifer something to try to relax her. It didn't work. Jennifer's heart rate was still high & she was still doing the same things. Soon a dr came in & asked mom if she knew what was going on with Jennifer. Mom said "no", but that she wished someone would tell her because it was really scaring her. The dr said Jennifer's brain is healing! She said the movements were being caused by little "sparks" in Jennifer's brain as it heals itself & re-programs itself. (mom's interpretation) Mom also had 2 nurses tell her they've seen this happen before & it is a sign that the brain is healing!!

Jennifer's kidneys have been producing urine, but not filtering out toxins. This is why they've been continuing with the dialysis. Sometime overnight, her kidneys began functioning as they should & are now filtering out the toxins as well as producing urine!

Jennifer slept most of the day today. David thinks she may have her days & nights confused! When she wasn't sleeping today, she was moving her mouth & tongue like she was trying to talk to mom. She did the same when her friend, Allison (a resident in OB-GYN), came by to visit her. She tried talking to Allison. Of course with the trach in, she can't talk.

Jennifer had a BIG night last night & a BIG day today! Things are getting better. She's still got a long way to go. But she's getting there in baby steps. We'll take the baby steps & thank the Lord for each one of them! God is working in Jennifer. He is healing my beautiful baby sister!

Mom told me she's praying for God to smooth out the road ahead of us or at least help us miss the pot holes, because it seems we've hit every pot hole in the road to get to where we are today! I thought that was an interesting way to look at it!

The power of prayer cannot be disputed. It is working! We are all witnesses to the power of prayer & the miracles that the Lord can do! Please pray, pray, pray!

Love,
Lynn

Jennifer had a BIG night last night! But she still has a long ways to go!

Day #37

Some days it's extemely difficult for me to log on to this blog & post something. Sometimes seeing the pictures, escpecially the one of Jennifer lying in her bed looking at Kacyn in his bed, really get me down. It breaks my heart to think of the time Jennifer is missing with her precious new baby. But I know there are many people depending on these posts. And it at least makes me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile to help Jennifer. I think about Jennifer one day being able to read this, learn about her journey, & see all the love, generosity, prayers, etc. that have been poured out to her through this from all around the country & world. I want her to see the lives she has touched. I am doing this for her.

There has been no real change in Jennifer's condition. She is still very critical & is not very alert or showing much response. They think she may have some kind of infection because she's been running a fever & her blood count is high (I think it's high that indicates infection, but maybe it's low that means infection. I don't know. I get confused.) They are administering antibiotics again.

David had the IT dept at the hospital set up the webcam again. When Jennifer wakes up completely, he wants her to be able to see Kacyn. He doesn't want her to even begin to worry that Kacyn may not be ok. He wants her to be able to see he is. The webcam was on when she went to sleep & he wants it on when she comes out of this.

Please pray for the miracles God is working in Jennifer & Kacyn to continue. Jennifer still needs head to toe healing as well as strength, comfort, peace, & encouragement. David's leg is healing well. Please pray for this healing to continue. Both families, including David, need prayers for strength, comfort, encouragement, peace, & help coping. We all have days when we are very down. I know I've had days where I don't even want to get out of bed. I cry all day & start to think "I can't do this anymore". I'm not the only one. Other family members have said the same. We are all physically, mentally, emotionally exhausted. Please continue to pray for all of us.

Love,
Lynn

Day #36

Not much to report on today. Jennifer is still about the same as far as her responses & reactions. She does appear to be responding or reacting. It just isn't very frequent or as frequent as we'd like. But Mom says Jennifer kissed her today! Mom was very excited about this!

They did dialysis on Jennifer again today. This should help get more of those toxins out of her body!

I've talked about the great nurses Jennifer's had taking care of her. One of them told David we have really touched him because he's never seen a family like ours. We are always there with Jennifer & are always thanking the nurses & drs for everything. We do thank them for everything. Anytime they come into Jennifer's room to do anything we thank them whether they are re-positioning her in the bed, checking a beeping iv, bathing her, or even poking her with another needle. We always thank them for taking care of her. We want them to know it is appreciated. And if it makes them want to pay extra attention to Jennifer, that's just an added bonus!

I really don't have much to report on. There's not much change. But I know things are changing! I believe she is getting better. Even the dr who told mom & David a week ago that Jennifer may just stay the way she is forever now says he thinks she's getting better.

Please continue to pray for Jennifer, Kacyn, David & the entire family.

Day #35

WOW! How do I follow up a posting like that one?! What a touching story!

After Jennifer's struggles yesterday following the feeding tube surgery, she is back to breathing on her own & back to the way she was before they sedated her again yesterday. She is reacting to at least the same level she was yesterday if not a little more. The dr said again today she is getting better. She is doing well with her new feeding tube. If she continues to do well, they will be moving her to the step down ICU.

Mom said some friends of Jennifer's were visiting today & they read from a prayer book to Jennifer. She said while they were doing so, Jennifer's feet & she lifted her arms up slightly. Her eyes were closed, but mom said they were moving behind her eyelids. She was reacting to & feeling that prayer!

I have mentioned at least once the dreams some have had about Jennifer. I have one more that I would like to share. The father-in-law of a friend of Jennifer's had a dream or a vision of Jennifer. He's never seen or met Jennifer before, but he's been praying for her. He told his daughter-in-law that he saw Jennifer's internal organs & brain & they were healing! There have been so many instances of people having dreams or visions of Jennifer that we have to believe God is showing us he's healing her & all is going to be well with her.

David got a phone call from the NICU staff today. Each year, the NICU sponsors a family at Christmas & helps them with gifts, etc. They contacted David because they've chosen to help David & Jennifer's precious little family this Christmas! When David told me this, it brought tears to my eyes as I had already been thinking about how Christmas would be & how we had to make it a good Christmas for Josiah. This takes care of that worry! David hadn't mentioned Christmas, but I'm sure it had crossed his mind too as to what he was going to do. Prayers answered once again!

Kacyn continues to do very well. He weighs 7 lbs 2 oz now. He may get to go home later next week! He'll still have a heart monitor on so they can monitor his heart rate. He still has problems with acid reflux which is normal for preemies, but when he has reflux his heart rate drops so they want to monitor it.

God is working miracles! Keep praying!

David's Comment

Hey everbody this is David I wanted to leave a post a share with everyone what God has spoke to me over the last 5 weeks.There is a couple of things im going to leave out but if anyone whants to hear the dreams that Jennifer had about our children and the promise God made to us ,you can call me at (479)644-8129 and I will tell you. If I dont answer leave a message and I will call Back. This is very long but I belive this will touch somebody God layed all of this on my heart to tell so here it is.

To start at the begining and I know by now everybody probaly knows what went on and I know Lynn has done a wonderful job updating this blog, but i cant read it. I am livinig this in real life, with that being said I may repeat somethings and others may end up being in my own words it was just easier for me to type this then past all the info to Lynn.

Ok now to start at the begining, the very first thing that comes to my mind was the very moment we were hit I remiember Jennifer saying "oh Jesus help us." When i look back on the accident I reliazed that me and Jen both stayed very calm. The other thing that stood out to me was immediately when the car stopped moveing Jennifer started praying and I started finding out if Josiah and her were ok. Then we both began to pray. Sometimes you can see how close your walk with God is when you look back a see how you react in a very serious situation. How you would react is for you to decide. The very next miracle I then saw was that our two year old wasn't hurt at all and didnt even cry. I would like for anyone to try to convince me that God didnt place his angels around his fragile body. I then reliazed that not only had Jennifer and Kacyn and I had survived the accident but we had minimal injuries for that type of accident. Then my attention was then brought to the fact that I had two cups of coffee and all of the fluid out of the radiator in my lap. I had been driving down the highway for 15 miles so this fluid was very hot before the accident. When it was in my lap though it was very cold. Tell me that wasnt God!!! Another thing I am very thankful for is that the Palmers were there to take Josiah. I tell you what God knows every need in your life at every moment of every day. Had they not been there or if they had been hurt, JoJo probably would have went into foster care till his grandparents got there and then we probably would have had a tough time getting him back.

Im now gonna jump a little forward because i dont remeber a whole lot between the accident secene and when Jen went into the ICU. At 7 30 on the morning of the 29th, (for those of you that dont know that is my birthday) I got the phone call that Jennifer had to be put on the vent and that she coded. When I got the call i immediatealy began to pray. I prayed for about an hour but I never got a peace in my spirit about what I was praying. I then got quiet and I heard God say "give her to me." And I replied with I already have. God then sayed "live or die give her to me and promise you and your boys will praise me no matter what." I said ok Lord I trust you I give her to you no matter what and I will make sure me and my boys praise you forever. I went on to pray this for about 24 hours. Immediadtely when I began praying this I knew she would be ok. The next day I was spending time with God and He then told me to then begin praying and thanking for her healing. So that is what I did. I was then released from the hospital on Friday Oct 31st. That night my mom took me to the hotel and left me there while she went to the store. While I was praying God told me I had to be in service in Ohio on sunday morning. I said God I my wife is laying in a hospital bed and I just had surgery on tuesday, i said why do I need to be in that service. God said to have Tyson Wiggins pray for me. My reply was I have pastor Myers, Ryan Stafford, Terry Palmer, a whole list of former IMT's why do I need Tyson to pray for me. God then said "it is a young and imiture boy who questions his father." God then brought to my attention that JoJo has just started asking why when you tell him to do something. Our respones is always it doesnt matter why because i said so that is why. And if that wasnt enough convincing God then brough to my attention that when i proposed to Jennifer, she told me before I can say yes I have to know that if God calls you anywhere in the world you will be willing to go no matter what the cost or circumsatances. So I went. I am leaving a couple of pieces out because it will make this about ten pages long so when Jennifer GETS UP AND WALKS OUT OF THIS HOSPITAL you will just have to attend a service when we give our amazing testimony. While I was there and Ty was praying for me a guy who never attended Harbor of Hope, was sitting on the back row and God spoke to him and told him to come up and pray for me. He had been in an accident one year to the day of our accident. He suffered from severe back pain and could only sit in a straight back chair. He couldnt reach his toes because his back hurt so bad. Because he was obidient when he turn to walk back to his chair all his pain was gone and he started bending over and touching his toes. Try and tell me God isnt GREAT!!!!!!

Im now gonna skip to monday november 17. I was having a rough day, I was exhusted in every area of my life. I think that was the first time I had broke down at the hospital. That night we were on our way home and i was eating an icecream cone and I hit rock bottom. For those of you that know us well I love icecream and every time i eat it Jennifer tells me I remind her of a little boy and she finds it so cute. I could not eat it I had to through it away. I decided I couldnt go to the hospital on Tuesday I decided I wanted to go to the church and pray. Im skiping again to save on time and reading you will just have to hear the final testimony. While I was there praying I was laying on my face and God told my to get up and walk. I said God the doctor said I was nonwieght bearing for up to 16 week and if I walk on my leg before then I will snap My tibia. (spelling ? I dont know not my best area of life) He said Get Up And Walk. So i got up and started walking with both my crutches and slowly adding more wiehgt to my foot and leg. After walking around for about 15 minutes I dropped my one crutch and started using just my other one. After about 15 more minutes I then dropped my other crutch. When I took my first step with out a crutch I fell flat on my face. I layed there and cryed and told God you said get up and walk. God repyled with you right I said get up and walk. So I got up and walked four or five more steps and fell flat on my face. I layed there and cryed and me and God had the same conversation over again. By this time I was hurting pretty good but I then stood up and began walking again with no crutches. This time I stayed upright, Ikept walking and crying and thanking God. When I finally stoped walking I went to my phone to see what time it was and what felt like 20 minutes worth of walking and praying. Was acctully 3 hours worth of walking in circles with no pain and no crutches. God then showed me a lesson in puting my trust in him in ALL areas of my life. You see I was beliving and praying for Jennifer to be healed and walk away that I never even prayed for my own leg. Or even trusted him to heal me or protect me to walk in faith. So on wednesday I went to the hospital and I saw a huge improvement in Jennifer she was lot more awake and alert and moving her limbs. So prasie God we are now seeing results of our faith and prayers and beliving in what we cant see feel or hear.

Well I have went on long enough and I have left otu probably have of the miracles and thens that God has said and put in our lives over the last 4 and 1/2 weeks. But like I said i would never sllep tonight and this page would be full. So THANK YOU to everyone who has prayed for us! Thank You to Lynn for keeping up with this blog because I definatly couldnt do it! Thank You to John and Jenny for keeping JoJo and taking him trick or treating! And THANK YOU to Steve, Jean, Lynn, Darrell, John, Jenny, all the nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles for loving me, accepting me, and giving me Jennifer in marrage. I love her with all my heart and I take care of her to the best of my ability and will continue to take care of her forever. I love you guys very much and I am honored to be a part of your family. Also I hhave to Thank my Mom and Dad! For those of you that dont know my mom has stepped in to be our primary care taker and more importantly Kacyns primary care taker so Thank You mom we love and will never be able to repay you what you deserve.

Well this is what God layed on my heart to tell everyone Im sorry it is so long but God has done alot in the last 5 weeks Thank You and please keep praying for us. WE LOVE EVERYONE OF YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

David

Day #34

Today is mom's birthday. Spending your birthday in the hospital isn't the ideal way to do it, but I hope she has as happy a birthday as possible. The kids called her & sang "Happy Birthday" to her so I'm sure that made it better.

I was mistaken on my post from yesterday. It is not the fixator holding Jennifer's hip/pelvic bone in place that they may be removing, it is her traction on that leg, making it immobile that may be removed.

One of Jennifer's many drs told mom yesterday that he thinks Jennifer's brain is healing. She opened her eyes all the way yesterday & looked over at mom. She hadn't been opening them all the way & they had always been very red. They weren't red anymore. The dr said this was a good sign. The dr also told mom that it could be weeks before all the toxins are out of her system. Because of this they were planning to do dialysis again today even though her kidneys appear to be working now. The dialysis would just be to help her kidneys get rid of some of the toxins still in her system. But I haven't heard if they actually did do dialysis today or not.

They removed the feeding tube in Jennifer's nose today & replaced it with one in her stomach. To do this, they had to sedate her again. Afterwards, they had difficulty getting her breathing, heart rate, & blood pressure back under control, but they finally did so. I hope that's the last time they have to sedate her for awhile! It's difficult to get the stuff out of her system if they keep having to give her more!

Sherry, a lady at Jennifer & David's church in Sullivan, commented last night that a couple of people have told her they had dreams of Jennifer sitting up in bed & looking around. I, too, have such dreams virtually every night. Sometimes mine are about her talking to us. Sherry also says, "Maybe right now Jen is having a long visit with Jesus and learning lots of things. There is no time frame with God, so even though it's been 33 days, with God it is no time at all." We all know how much Jennifer likes to talk so if she is visiting with Jesus, it might be awhile before she's done visiting!

I have a very dear friend named Joey who got very ill in May. The drs were clueless as to what was wrong with her. She was transferred to St Louis from Rogers, AR. They weren't giving Joey very good odds of making it. She spent approximately 6 weeks in the hospital (most of that in ICU). It was several weeks before they even determined what was wrong. She truly believes prayer is why she's still with us today. She has a very moving story. I would love for her & Jennifer to meet someday & talk about their ordeals & how God & prayer saved their lives. Joey likes to talk too so this could be an all day event!! :) Luv ya, Joey!!

Please keep praying for Jennifer!!! And for David & the rest of the family also!

Love,
Lynn

Day #33

The orthopedic surgeon has decided not to do surgery on Jennifer's hip/pelvic bone at this time. They are going to do x-rays to determine if they can remove the fixator. They said the hip/pelvic surgery can be put off a little longer.

This is just a little story I want to share with everyone...
Mom was in the small waiting room outside Jennifer's ICU this morning. This is a small room with a door. The door was closed & mom was the only one in the room. She said she was on the phone with dad, crying, & talking to him about Jennifer. She said after she was done with the call, she left the room, & was walking down the wall when a man walked up to her, pointed his finger at her, & said "Your daughter will get better. Do not give up hope." Mom was surprised by this because she had never seen this man before & she was alone in the room with the door closed. There was no way anyone could have overheard her. She wonders if this man could have been an angel. Maybe it was!

Mom asked me to write a little about Stephanie. She was one of Jennifer's favorite nurses. Stephanie was on duty a few nights ago as Jennifer's nurse. She spent extra time with Jennifer, doing things to make Jennifer feel better. She washed, exfoliated, & moisturized her face. After she bathed her, she put a pretty smelling lotion all over her. She even shaved Jennifer's legs! She told mom she'd given Jennifer almost an entire spa session! This is one of the nurses who always comes to check on Jennifer & find mom to give her a hug. She found mom the day after Jennifer's cardiac arrest, hugged her, & just cried with her. She's cried & talked to mom about everything many times now.

I truly believe God is healing Jennifer as we speak even if it may not show on the outside. He's healing her on the inside. We will have our Jennifer back!

I forgot to mention that yesterday was Kacyn's birthday! He was 1 month old yesterday! Happy Birthday, Kacyn! Aunt Lynn loves you!

Please continue to pray for head to toe healing for Jennifer as well as strength. Also please continue to pray Kacyn. Prayers for strength & comfort are needed for David & the rest of the family to get through this very difficult time.

I can't even begin to put into words how much the outpouring of love & support has meant to the entire family. Thank you so very much!

Love,
Lynn

Day #32

We must not give up hope. We must continue to hope & pray for Jennifer's full healing.

Jennifer is still showing no real response or reaction to anything. There have been times when David &/or mom will see what they believe is her reacting to something they say or do. Those times; unfortunately, have been few. The drs try to get responses from Jennifer, but get nothing. They are again saying she may stay this way. Once Jennifer's hip/pelvic surgery is done, the drs told David they will get him in touch with a social worker to try to figure out what to do with Jennifer, whether to send her to a rehab center or take her home.

This is extremely difficult & upsetting to all of us. We don't believe God is finished with Jennifer yet. She still has lots of work to do for him. We are still praying for a miracle to show everyone what God can do.

Please keep the prayers flowing like a river to heaven for Jennifer.

Day #31

Unfortunately, there appears to be no change in Jennifer's condition today. She is still breathing on her own & has no more iv bags. The only medication she is on is some pain & blood pressure medication. The orthopedic surgeon is now considering when to do the surgery on her hip/pelvic bone.

Because of there really being no change in Jennifer, it is difficult not to get discouraged. I know we can't get discouraged. This is the reason behind today's "thought for the day". We have to continue to be hopeful & pray for Jennifer's healing. Please continue to pray for miracles for Jennifer.

Kacyn moved to his new room. He's doing well & weighs almost 7 pounds now.

Please pray for David. He's having a difficult time dealing with everything. It's a lot for 1 person to have to handle. He needs prayers too.

Thanks for all the prayers. Please, please do not stop now!

Love,
Lynn

4 Weeks

Yesterday was the 4 week anniversary of the accident that has changed a precious, young family & so many other lives forever. This has to be the longest 4 weeks ever! It is still so unreal to think that it went from essentially a few broken bones & Kacyn being our biggest concern & the only one in critical condition to Jennifer fighting for her life. The events of the last 4 weeks really make you stop & think how your life can change in an instant. It makes you realize you need to be thankful for & enjoy every minute.

It is very difficult not to ask "Why?" or "Why Jennifer?" or "How could God let something like this happen to someone as good as Jennifer?" I catch myself asking these types of questions, but I know we can drive ourselves crazy trying to figure it out & never find the answer. Instead of focusing on the "whys" we need to focus on the "nows" & put that energy into trying to get Jennifer better. We may never know the "why". But I do know that Jennifer's story has touched many, many people & brought them closer to their own families & to God.

Dad & I went up to St. Louis on Friday. We came back home last night & guess what! Mom came home with us! This is the 1st time she's been home since the accident! I think it will be good for her to spend a couple of nights at home & seeing her other 5 grandchildren will also be good for her. I was planning on convincing mom to come home with us & expecting a fight to get her to do it. But she actually mentioned it on her own yesterday morning! Of course, we weren't halfway home & she said "I wonder how my baby's doing." I'm know she'll be wondering about that the whole time she's home just like the rest of us do. I'm also sure Jennifer's nurses will probably get several phone calls from mom! But I still think mom getting away from the hospital & coming home is a good thing. She's going to drive herself back up on Monday & even see about getting a room at Haven House instead of staying at the hospital every night. Haven House is a place where people who have family in the hospital can stay. That is a big step for mom!

Jennifer has essentially been breathing on her own the last couple of days. The vent is only giving her some extra pressure. The breaths are being initiated by Jennifer. The vent is not breathing for her. For several hours, the last couple of days, they have even turned off the pressure & just given Jennifer oxygen then all of the breathing is Jennifer. If she did ok with this yesterday afternoon, they were going to keep it that way all night. I'm not sure right now how that went. I do know all of the vitals regarding Jennifer's lungs looked good yesterday which is an indication that her lungs are healing.

She had dialysis again yesterday. I think they got another 3.5 liters of fluid. The dialysis tech told us that a liter of fluid was equivalent to about 2.2 pounds! Jennifer's kidneys still aren't working. But the drs still believe they will start working. The kidney dr told us that in a trauma the kidneys are the first thing to shutdown, but the last thing to start working again. He says that once Jennifer's lungs & other body functions are working again, her kidneys will start working.

Even though Jennifer is no longer sedated, she still appears to be. She's still on pain medication which puts her to sleep. Because of all of this, she's still not showing a lot of response or reaction. Mom & David have seen her respond to their words or actions. The dr said she was so heavily sedated & drugged up that it'll be DAYS before it's all out of her system. I didn't see as much reaction from Jennifer as I would have liked to when I was there, but I know God is healing her on the inside. We may not be able to see it on the outside, but just because we can't see it doesn't mean it isn't happening. This is the reason for today's thought for the day - "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1. I've used this before for the thought for the day, but felt it fit well with the current situation. Our hopes are to have Jennifer healed. We have faith in God to do this. But we have to know that even though we may not see it on the outside doesn't mean the healing isn't occurring on the inside. I am certain that she is being healed regardless of what we can see or what the drs may say. She's being healed from the inside out.

They are moving the NICU into a new wing of the hospital on Monday. Kacyn will have his own room! His nurse picked it out a few weeks ago. She found the room she thought was perfect for him & claimed it as his! She picked it out because she liked the colors & how it was decorated. She also chose this room because it was big enough for David to maneuver around in in his wheelchair & also big enough for all of us! His new room is located at #23 Butterfly Lane! I look forward to seeing it!

Prayer requests:
Jennifer - head to toe healing, strength to help her continue to fight & get through this, comfort to keep her from getting upset, scared, agitated, etc.
David - continued healing of his leg, strength & comfort to not only help him get through this, but also to cope, keep him strong physically, spiritually, & mentally
Kacyn - continued healing of his brain, continued improvement in his bottle feeding
Josiah - angels to watch over him & keep him safe
Rest of the family - strength & comfort, remove all questions about "why" from our minds

Love,
Lynn

Day #28

Dad & I are leaving for St. Louis this afternoon. It'll be late before we get there so I thought I'd go ahead & post to the blog now. I don't really have a lot to report on though.

Jennifer rested pretty well last night. They turned up her pain medication because of pain from the trach. So she's been pretty out of it today because of that. Her blood pressure has been a little high so they put her on blood pressure medication to help with that.

No dialysis today. They are doing it every other day so they should be doing it again tomorrow.

I'm going to try to convince mom to go to a hotel tonight with dad. If I stay at the hospital with Jennifer, mom will be more likely to leave. She really needs to get away & try to get a good night's sleep.

Both Kacyn & David continue to do well.

Well, that's really all I know today!

Have a great weekend! And send up lots of prayers!
Love,
Lynn

Day #27

They did dialysis this morning on Jennifer & got about 2.5 liters of excess fluid.

They also put the trach in this afternoon. That surgery went well. This should be a good thing for Jennifer.

David & mom have had additional conversations with the dr regarding the MRI & Jennifer's reactions. David asked the dr more about the MRI. Here's what he found out: They don't know how any brain damage will affect Jennifer. They will need to watch her body functions to find out. The MRI can't distinguish between damage that heals & permanent damage. It could be very likely that the damage is something that's going to heal itself - like we've seen with Kacyn. Regarding the dr's comments about Jennifer not responding or reacting - The dr. apologized to mom for what he told her yesterday saying it's really too early to know. She has only been off sedation for 48 hours. There could still be lingering affects of this medication in her body as well as pain medicatino, slowing down her reactions. She is reacting, but it's not constant. She lifted her hand & her index finger slightly like she was trying to wave "bye" when David told her he was going to get something to eat. Her eyes will follow you as you move across the room. All of this is much more comforting than what we were told yesterday. I truly believe our Jennifer will be the same Jennifer once this is all over. She'll be the same baby sister driving me crazy she's always been! :) (For those who don't know, she's 11 years younger than me so growing up, yes, she drove me nuts sometimes!)

David is doing well. He said he's getting around better all the time & the pain is getting to be less & less all the time for him. Please pray for David's continued healing, comfort, & the strength he needs to support Jennifer & take care of their family.

Jennifer's prayers need to include healing from head to toe as well as comfort & strength. She has a long road ahead of her, but that road is getting a little shorter with every passing day.

Josiah's been in OH with grammy. They should be back in St. Louis tomorrow. I know David & mom will be glad to see him & be chasing him around the hospital again! Sometimes they have to barricade him in the waiting room with tables/chairs! And he really likes the elevators! You have to watch him closely because if he sees an elevator door open, he will try to get on! He hasn't escaped yet though! He also likes all the vending machines near the cafeteria. He looks around & says "WOW! WOW!" He's such a little cutey!

I have posted a new picture of Kacyn. My brother took this today on his cell phone.

Please keep the prayers flowing! I truly believe God is going to heal all of our dear loved ones & everyone will be good as new!

Love,
lynn

Day #26 - Prayers Needed!

Today has been a rough day. Not much good news to report on.

Jennifer had her MRI last night. It showed possible brain damage. They don't know the extent of it yet. They said the same about Kacyn & he's doing better than they expected. We are hoping & praying for the same for Jennifer.

They cut Jennifer's sedation medication in half. She's pretty much awake now. She's fighting the ventilator, trying to spit or cough it out. She's been pretty upset/scared - not sure what to call it exactly. Her heart rate & blood pressure have been high. Mom has been talking to her, holding her hand, & reading the bible to her to try to calm her. Jennifer will squeeze her hand & tears will roll down her cheeks.

They also cut Jennifer's pain medication back. The dr told mom they aren't getting the reaction they wanted or expected. He said Jennifer could possibly stay the way she is right now forever. I'm not sure what kind of reaction he's looking for. I don't understand. Jennifer IS reacting! When mom asks Jennifer a question, Jennifer will squeeze her hand. Mom was rubbing Jennifer's feet & she asked Jen if she could feel it & she nodded her head.

Please continue to pray for Jennifer. The prayers may be needed now more than ever. God is bigger than the drs. Drs have been wrong before. That is because God can heal or fix anything. We know & believe that he's going to do miracles with Jennifer & prove the drs wrong again. There is NOTHING wrong with Jennifer!

Mom is a wreck. She's spent every night for the last 3+ weeks in either a chair beside Jen's bed or in the waiting room. There have been maybe 4-5 nights total when we've convinced her to go to the hotel. Today's news devastated her. Please keep her in your prayers also as well as the rest of the family.

Little Kacyn continues to improve. He now weighs 6 lbs 4 oz! Mom said this is how much I weighed when I was born. We won't talk about how much I weigh now! :)

Please, please do not forget Jennifer & the entire family in your prayers. As I said earlier, they may be needed now more than ever!

Love,
Lynn

New Pictures!

I have posted some of the Halloween pictures of Josiah & his cousins! He made the cutest little football player! Can't wait for Jen to see them!

Day #25

They did dialysis again today. The kidney specialist told mom they are planning on doing dialysis every other day in order to prevent fluid from building up in Jennifer's body again. He also said it normally takes weeks (anywhere from 2 to 12 weeks) before the kidneys will begin working again, but he expects Jennifer's to begin sooner than that because she's young & healthy. We're praying for days instead of weeks!

They turned back Jennifer's sedation medication a little today. During her dialysis, she opened her eyes a couple of times, looked at mom, & tears would roll down her cheeks. This broke mom's heart. Mom would wipe the tears, hold her hand, & talk gently to her, trying to keep her calm.

They didn't wake her up completely today, just turned the sedation down some.

They were supposed to do an MRI today to check for possible brain damage due to having to be resuscitated, but as of 5:00pm tonight, they hadn't done the MRI yet. They expect all to be ok since they revived her quickly. They had been watching her stats that night & were anticipating the cardiac arrest. They had everything they needed ready & waiting so when it happened they were prepared for it.

They will be replacing her ventilator with a trachiotomy on Thu. I know this sounds scary, but everyone says this is a good thing. Patients tend to do better with a trach & having a ventilator in too long can cause permanent damage to the vocal cords. We all know how Jen likes to talk!

David is improving & continues to get around better & better everyday. Little Kacyn also continues to do well. Somehow he's managing to dirty about 3 outfits a day!

Please pray for Jennifer's kidneys, for her MRI to be clean, for continued healing of her lungs, for strength to help her continue to fight & get through this. Also please pray for peace & comfort for her as she awakens to everything as it will probably be scary - she won't remember anything. Please continue to pray for the continued healing of sweet little Kacyn & David & of course for strength & comfort for the rest of the family.

I know I've said it before & I know I'll probably say it many more times...
I can't thank everyone enough for the thoughts, prayers, well wishes, acts of generosity, offers of assistance, & love that has been shown to all of us. I can't wait for Jennifer to read all the blog comments & the notes that have been posted to her My Space & Facebook pages as well as the autographed sheets, cards, etc! She will be as overwhelmed as the rest of us are! THANK YOU!

Love,
Lynn

Day #24

Jennifer had another good day. They gave her a day off from dialysis to let her rest. The dr said they are going to try to wake her up tomorrow. If she's calm & relaxed, they will keep her awake. Please pray that Jennifer isn't scared or gets too upset when they start trying to wake her up. Pray that she's able to remain calm & relaxed through it. Also please continue to pray for her kidneys. They're still not working.

Thank you!
Love,
Lynn

Day #23

The drs told us last night they were going to give Jen the day off today from dialysis. This morning we arrived at the hospital to find them prepping for dialysis! The drs had changed their minds due to the progress that Jen made over the last couple of days. All of the things they monitor for progress (creatinine, potassium, ph, blood gas, red/white blood cells, lung xrays, lots of things I can't remember!) showed improvement today. This is the 1st day that all of these things showed considerable improvement. Her kidneys still aren't working, but the drs told us the kidneys will be the last thing to heal. Once her other organs (lungs) were healed then her kidneys would begin healing. Dialysis essentially functions as a fake kidney so the work its doing by getting rid of the toxins & excess fluids is helping her lungs to heal. Her oxygen level this morning was also the lowest it's ever been, 35%. All of the news today was good. This is the first time in a long time for all good news! Seems like it's always good news about one thing, but bad news about something else.

The congregations at Jennifer's churches in OH & MO signed bedsheets. Jennifer is covered with these. My cousin, Missy, & I spent quite a bit of time reading some of the writings & scriptures written on the sheets to Jen. I know Jen will read every one of them when she's able to! A 3rd grade class in OH made cards for Jennifer. We also read those to her. They were so cute! I know Jennifer will enjoy reading those too.

The dialysis takes 3-4 hours so I only got to see Jen for a short time this morning before the dialysis began. I did; however, get to hold & feed Kacyn before I began my 5 hour journey home. What a way to end my time in St. Louis this weekend! He's so precious!

David is still doing well & getting around better & better everyday.

It's never easy to leave Jennifer & I always cry when I have to leave, but it was a little easier today with how well things were going today.

It's evident the prayers are resulting in miracles. Jennifer & Kacyn continue to improve, but still have a long way to go so we can't stop praying now!

Love,
Lynn

A Pretty Good Day

Jennifer's had a pretty good day. Her oxygen level has been down to 45% most of the day & she hasn't been distressed like she was the last couple of days. She was on 100% oxygen most of the time the last few days.

They are currently doing dialysis on her. They expect to get another 7 liters of excess fluid bringing the total to approximately 41.5 liters!

Kacyn is cuter than ever! Aunt Lynn can't wait to spoil him rotten!

Day #22

My apologies for not posting anything yesterday. I was traveling back to St. Louis & was too tired when I got back to the hotel.

Jennifer had dialysis again yesterday. They have now gotten approximately 34.5 liters of excess fluid out of Jennifer's body! She's beginning to look like my baby sister again! I was amazed at the difference in her appearance since I saw her last Sun. Yesterday morning her creatinine level was down to 3.8. It's 3.3 this morning. They are going to dialysis again today & again on Monday.

Kacyn has gained a whole pound! He now weighs 5 lbs 14 oz! He now weighs only 4 oz less than my daughter did when she was born & she was full term! It's hard to believe she was ever that tiny - she's almost 13 now! Kacyn's little cheeks are starting to fill out. I was also amazed at how much he's changed in a few days!

Kacyn had to take 2 tests this week - kind of like he was in school! The first was the swallowing test on Thu which he passed. Then he had a hearing test yesterday. He passed it too! We weren't surprised by this because we knew he could hear. Anytime we talk to him, he opens his eyes & turns his head toward us. Mom is right he IS beautiful! As soon as I have new pictures of him, I will post them! He's changed so much!

Our cousin, Missy, arrived yesterday evening from KY. We were happy to see her. She's an RN & has been helping us understand things all along & has helped even more since she arrived here. She got to hold little Kacyn last night. She couldn't believe how perfect & good he looks. The NICU nurse took a picture of Missy holding Kacyn & gave it to her.

Not much else to report on. Everyone continues to slowly improve. I'm just waiting for the day Jennifer can tell us to leave her alone! Hopefully, that day will be here soon!

Miracles are being worked every day & they are all due to the prayers from around the country & the world. Thank you & please keep them flowing!

Love,
Lynn

Day #20

Jennifer had a little bit of a rough night last night. She was distressed a little, running a fever, had high blood pressure, & a high heart rate. They turned her oxygen back up to 80% & increased her pain medication & sedation. She is no longer breathing on her own right now. Her heart rate & blood pressure have gone down, but are still a little high. They also used Tylenol & ice packs to get her fever down. They did a thoracentisis to draw fluid from around her lungs.

Today was a little better. Her heart rate & blood pressure were still a little high, but she seemed to be resting better.

They did dialysis again today, but when I spoke to mom about 4:30, they weren't finished with it yet so I don't know how much excess fluid they got. The dr's were hoping to get 7 liters of excess fluid today!

They did a swallow test on Kacyn to make sure he's able to swallow. He passed the test! Swallowing was something the neurologist who studied Kacyn's MRI results said he might not be able to do! The nurse told mom today Kacyn did have a couple of episodes yesterday where his heart rate dropped a little. They had increased his food a little & think it may have caused an acid reflux type reaction in Kacyn. They have decreased his food back to what it was previously & he hasn't had this happen again.

I want to thank Linda at It's No Monkey Business (http://www.itsnomonkeybusiness.com/). She brought me a cute gift basket for Kacyn today. It contains a baby blue stuffed Ty beanie baby monkey, a cute little outfit with dogs on it, a disposable camera, a blankie that looks very soft & cuddly, a journal, & a little booklet of mom-to-mom advice on having a baby in the NICU. It's also in a neat little container that can be used for storing things. I cried when it was delivered to me today. I'm just still overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness & love that has been shown to our little family.

Even though it's not as quickly as we'd all like, Jennifer is getting better. She will probably continue to have good & bad days, but she is slowly getting better. There are more good days than bad days. And little Kacyn is doing great! The prayers are working! Please continue to pray for Jennifer & Kacyn & the rest of the family.

Thank you!
Love,
Lynn

Day #19

As indicated in the previous post, Jennifer's test for C difficile infection came back negative. This means Josiah can be taken back to see her again. Some of the nurses don't really like him going back there. It's against the rules, but we feel it's important for Jen to hear his precious little voice (yes, she can hear!). Josiah will normally say "Shhh! Mommy's sleeping!" and "I love you, mommy" and blow her kisses. He will also jabber in Josiah language something that no one else understands! We know Jen is smiling inside when she hears this!

I also mentioned previously that Jennifer & her family were on prayer lists around the country. Well, they are not only on prayer lists around the country, but also around the world!! Comments were posted to this blog from Germany & Canada, then there have been posts to her Facebook page from Argentina, Brazil, & I'm not sure where else!

The ultrasound results on Kacyn's little brain show there is no change in the cerebral spinal fluid buildup. If there's no change then that means it's not building up, so I guess that's good! Mom said when she went to Kacyn today in the NICU, he was sleeping until she started talking to him. He then opened his eyes & turned his head toward her! She even thinks he smiled at her. She told me "He's just beautiful!"

They did dialysis again today. They got 6 liters of excess fluid this time! Her creatinine levels in her blood have also gone down. Creatinine is essentially waste product created by muscle metabolism. It flows through the bloodstream to the kidneys. The kidneys then filter this out & dispose of it in urine. Normal level for creatinine in an adult female is 1.1. Jen's level on Monday was 7.8; yesterday it was 6.6; this morning it was 5.8. So it's coming down with the dialysis.

We know it's everyone's prayers that are helping Jennifer & Kacyn heal & be strong, as well as helping the rest of the family to cope & stay strong. Thank you!

C Diff

Good morning!

I found out last night that Jen's test for the C difficile infection came back negative!!!!

Day #18

Not a lot to report on today, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

They did dialysis on Jennifer again today. They got 5 liters of excess fluid out of her body today! Yesterday it was 3.5 liters. Her kidneys still aren't working, but the drs had told us they didn't know how long it would take. They said it could be days or it could be weeks.

The IVC filter was put in today. That surgery went well. This is a relief as we won't have to worry about blood clots anymore!

Kacyn & David continue to do well also!

We have been amazed at the outpouring of love & support that has been shown. A lot of it has come from strangers! They've heard Jen's story from a "friend of a friend" or online. One lady in OK sent a baby blanket & $20! Another lady is donating a gift basket for Jen & Kacyn. She had a preemie son & created a non-profit organization to assist parents with children in ICU. You can read more about it at http://www.itsnomonkeybusiness.com/. You always hear about bad people on the news. You rarely hear about good people. But we've learned firsthand over the last few weeks there are lots of good people in the world. Thank you to everyone who has shown us support over the past few weeks whether it be through monetary gifts, other gifts, or prayers. It's greatly appreciated!

Jen has friends all over the country & has had visitors at the hospital from OK, AR, MO, & OH. She & her family are on prayer lists across the country from OR to CA to AZ to TX to AR to LA to KY to MO to NE & OH! And these are just the places I'm aware of!

Please keep the prayers going! They are working miracles!

Dialysis

I found out after yesterday evening's blog post they had begun the dialysis treatment on Jen. It ran for about 4 hours & they got 7 pounds of fluid out of her body! If they get 7 pounds of fluid every day this week, they will have gotten a total of 40+ pounds of fluid by the end of the week! That sounds like a lot & is a lot, but if you've seen how swollen Jen is from all the excess fluid, it's not too hard to believe there's that much fluid in her little body. The drs have said they don't know how many dialysis treatments she'll need before her kidneys heal & begin working again.

But the treatments have begun & we are getting closer & closer to having our Jen back!

Day #17

I'm back at home in Bentonville, AR. I got home yesterday afternoon. My mom, brother, David, David's mom, & Josiah are in St. Louis with Jennifer.

Jennifer's kidneys still aren't working. As mentioned previously, she has fluid buildup because of this, including in her lungs. They were supposed to put the dialysis catheter in today, but I have not heard yet if this was actually done today. If they did get this done today, they should begin the dialysis tomorrow.

The dr's think Jennifer may have an infection caused by C. difficile bacteria. This infection is most common in people taking antibiotics. There are hundreds of bacteria in the stomach & intestines. Many are good bacteria & help suppress the growth of harmful organisms. But when an antibiotic is taken, it often destroys good bacteria. Without enough healthy bacteria, dangerous bacteria such as C. difficile can grow out of control. C. difficile infection is very contagious. They have cleaned Jennifer's room with bleach. Josiah is no longer allowed in the room to see her because his immune system may not be strong enough to fight it. All visitors must wash their hands before & after going into Jen's room. Currently, we don't know for sure if Jen indeed has this. The dr's are running tests to find out. The treatment for this is antibiotics -- I know that sounds strange since that's what caused this, but there are antibiotics that fight this also. Once we know the tests results (it could be a couple of days), I will post that.

They have been giving Jennifer something called Heparin, a blood thinner to prevent blood clots. She is at a very high risk for blood clots. But giving a patient Heparin over an extended period of time isn't good. They will implant an IVC (inferior vena cava) filter into Jen's groin area tomorrow. This essentially is a filter that will filter out any blood clots. It's put on the main artery that flows to the heart. All the smaller veins/arteries in the lower part of the body flow into this 1 artery in her groin. Putting this filter there will help catch any blood clots that are formed & keep them from making their way to Jen's heart/lungs.

Please remember I'm not a dr, nor do I play one on tv...so my explanations of these things may not be perfect. They are my understanding of everything after talking to my brother (a paramedic), his wife (a nurse), or my cousin (also a nurse). Thank you, guys, for helping me understand this stuff!

Kacyn continues to do well. He's drinking a full ounce out of his bottles now!

Jennifer's had some great nurses & dr's. I can't thank them enough for taking such good care of her! Kacyn also has had some great nurses & dr's. From the very beginning, the nurses in NICU had been taking pictures of Kacyn & taking them up to Jennifer since she couldn't see Kacyn. They took several pictures a day & brought them to her. They even had a webcam set up by Kacyn's bed & put a laptop in Jen's room so she could see him in his crib at all times! They tied a ribbon around the 1st bottle he drank & put a note on it that had his name, the date, & "1st bottle" on it & had it delivered to her room. Unfortunately, Jennifer hasn't seen this yet, but it's in her room so she'll see it when she wakes up. The nurses in Jen's ICU rotate out. There are nurses who aren't hers anymore, but they still come by to check on her & give mom a hug. Mom really needs all the hugs she can get!

Josiah is back in St. Louis. He had a great time with his cousins here in AR! And his cousins enjoyed seeing him too! His cousins range in age from 7-12 years old. I already told you about his trick-or-treating adventures. I have Halloween pictures I will post sometime in the next few days. He also went to my nephew's pee-wee football game while he was here. He enjoyed that as well! Anytime the crowd would cheer, he would cheer & clap. It didn't matter which team it was for!

Prayers are still needed. Please pray for Jen's kidneys to begin working, the continued healing of her bones, lungs, heart, & the possible infection. Also please pray that no blood clots are formed in her body. Please pray for strength for David & for his & Kacyn's continued improvement & for Kacyn's little brain to be free of excess spinal fluid, blood, & tissue damage. Both our parents & David's parents need prayers for comfort & strength to help them cope. Please pray for the same for me, my brother, & David's sister. Can't forget about little Jo-Jo (as Jen calls him) - Please pray for angels to watch over little Josiah & keep him safe.

Thank you again for everything!
Love,
Lynn